The Alabama Department of Public Health says that an employee at the state’s Bureau of Clinical Laboratories in Montgomery has tested positive for the virus.
The BCL is the main lab working on testing for the virus in the state, but ADPH says the individual had no interaction with others on the job and was not working on COVID-19 testing.
The ADPH said the employee tested positive after a laboratory test.
“The employee and staff working in close contact with the employee have been sent home for isolation,” the ADPH said in a statement. “In addition to the area where the employee worked, the entire building is being cleaned and disinfected according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations.”
ADPH has been taking proactive steps to reduce the risk of infection among its workforce, the department said in a statement.
“These steps have included encouraging sick employees to stay home, increasing the frequency of cleaning facilities, canceling meetings and staff travel, increasing the use of teleworking among staff, and encouraging social distancing and other preventive measures,” the department’s statement read.
